Remembering Veterans
It is Veteran's Day. Whatever our view of war or even the military it is appropriate to stop and remember and honor those who served country. Some were drafted and others volunteered. Many joined up because other options at the time were few. Military service offered a lift up and out of poverty and perhaps a way to college. Others served out of a sense of duty and calling.
My father served in the Navy during WW II. He was a gunner on merchant ships -- saw the world. By the time I was 18 the Vietnam War had ended, we were at "peace," and the draft had ended. I went off to college with little thought of the military.
I've never been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery, but I've been to the Arizona Memorial. There's something quite sobering about that place. If you stop for a moment, cease being a tourist, and become silent, you feel something sacred -- you feel life having been lost.
Today, may we stop and remember those who have served our nation. May we commit ourselves to the cause of peace so that the lives of young women and men need not be put in danger. May we commit ourselves at the same time to providing the educational and health benefits due those who heard the call to serve.
My father served in the Navy during WW II. He was a gunner on merchant ships -- saw the world. By the time I was 18 the Vietnam War had ended, we were at "peace," and the draft had ended. I went off to college with little thought of the military.
I've never been to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery, but I've been to the Arizona Memorial. There's something quite sobering about that place. If you stop for a moment, cease being a tourist, and become silent, you feel something sacred -- you feel life having been lost.
Today, may we stop and remember those who have served our nation. May we commit ourselves to the cause of peace so that the lives of young women and men need not be put in danger. May we commit ourselves at the same time to providing the educational and health benefits due those who heard the call to serve.
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